U.S. patent number 5,557,809 [Application Number 08/394,773] was granted by the patent office on 1996-09-24 for toilet seat cover.
Invention is credited to James L. Adams.
United States Patent |
5,557,809 |
Adams |
September 24, 1996 |
Toilet seat cover
Abstract
A cover for a toilet seat is a plurality of plastic sheet
members having side, front and rear sections surrounding an opening
aligned with a toilet seat opening when the cover is placed on the
toilet seat to protect a person from contaminants, side members are
attached to opposite sides of the sheet members and extend
downwardly adjacent opposite sides of the toilet seat. An apron,
attached to the front of the sheet members, extends downwardly in
front of the toilet seat and bowl to shield a person's legs and
clothing from the toilet seat and bowl. An internal flap releasably
connected to the sheet members is adapted to extend downwardly into
the toilet bowl adjacent the front of the inside of the toilet
seat. The sheet members are made of water-soluble material that
dissolves at temperatures in a high range. The side members and
apron are made of water-soluble material that dissolves at
temperatures in a low range.
Inventors: |
Adams; James L. (Fargo,
ND) |
Family
ID: |
26687002 |
Appl.
No.: |
08/394,773 |
Filed: |
February 27, 1995 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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148296 |
Nov 8, 1993 |
5392469 |
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15141 |
Nov 9, 1993 |
Des. 356634 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
4/245.3; 4/245.4;
4/245.6; 4/245.8; 4/245.9 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47K
13/16 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47K
13/00 (20060101); A47K 13/16 (20060101); A47K
013/14 (); A47K 013/18 () |
Field of
Search: |
;4/245.1,245.2,245.3,245.4,245.6,245.7,245.8,245.9 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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194250 |
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Sep 1986 |
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EP |
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2631225A |
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Nov 1989 |
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FR |
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416033 |
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Jul 1925 |
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DE |
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1913444 |
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Oct 1970 |
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DE |
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1387994 |
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Mar 1975 |
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GB |
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1600786 |
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Oct 1981 |
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GB |
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2182688 |
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May 1987 |
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GB |
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2263488 |
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Jul 1993 |
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GB |
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Primary Examiner: Recla; Henry J.
Assistant Examiner: Eloshway; Charles R.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Burd, Bartz & Gutenkauf
Parent Case Text
CROSS REFERENCE: TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser.
No. 08/148,296, filed Nov. 8, 1993 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,392,469 and
CIP of U.S. application Ser. No. 29/015,141, filed Nov. 9, 1993 now
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 356,634.
Claims
I claim:
1. A cover for a toilet seat having a front portion, side members
joined to a back section and a generally central opening between
the side members to accommodate the lower body and legs of a human
comprising: sheet means for covering the toilet seat to protect the
person using the toilet seat, said sheet means having a first
section for covering one side member of the toilet seat, a second
section-for covering the other side member of the toilet seat, said
first and second sections comprising sheet material being
water-soluble only at temperatures above 100 degrees F, strip means
securing the first and second sections together with an opening
between said first and second sections, said strip means comprising
material being water-soluble only at temperatures above 34 degrees
F, a first side sheet member secured to the first section, a second
side sheet member secured to the second section, and an apron
secured to the first and second sections and the first and second
side sheet members and adapted to extend downwardly from the front
portion of the toilet seat, said first and second side sheet
members and apron comprising material being water-soluble only at
temperatures above 34 degrees F.
2. The cover of claim 1, wherein: said first and second sections
form a rearwardly-directed flap, said flap having opposite side
releasably connected to the first and second sections, said
opposite sides of the flap being releasable from the first and
second sections such that the flap extends downward into a toilet
bowl when the cover is placed on a toilet seat.
3. The cover of claim 2 wherein: said flap has a first portion
joined to the first section and a second portion joined to the
second section of the sheet means, and connecting means securing
the first portion to the second portion of the flap to said first
and second sections, said connecting means comprising material
being water-soluble only temperatures above 34 degrees F.
4. The cover of claim 1 wherein: said sheet means has a
rearwardly-directed flap, said apron has a length greater than the
length of the flap.
5. The cover of claim 1 wherein: said sheet means has a
rearwardly-directed flap, said apron has a width greater than the
width of the flap.
6. The cover of claim 1 wherein: said sheet means has a
rearwardly-directed flap, said apron has a length and width greater
than the length and width of the flap.
7. A cover for a toilet seat having a front portion, side members
joined to a back section and a generally central opening between
the side members to accommodate the lower body and legs of a human
comprising: sheet means for covering the toilet seat to protect the
person using the toilet seat, said sheet means having opposite
sides and a generally central opening smaller than the central
opening of the toilet seat, said sheet means comprising material
being water-soluble only at temperatures above 100 degrees F, a
first side sheet member secured to a first side of the sheet means,
a second side sheet member secured to a second opposite side of the
sheet means, and an apron secured to the sheet means and adapted to
extend downwardly from the front portion of the toilet seat, said
first and second side members and apron comprising material being
water-soluble only at temperatures above 34 degrees F.
8. The cover of claim 7 wherein: said sheet means has a
rearwardly-directed flap, said flap having opposite sides
releasably connected to the sheet means, said opposite sides of the
flap being releasable from the sheet means such that the flap
extends downward into a toilet bowl when the cover is placed on the
toilet seat.
9. The cover of claim 8 wherein: said sheet means has a first
section and a second section, said flap has a first portion joined
to the first section and a second portion joined to the second
section of the sheet means, and connecting means securing the first
portion to the second portion of the flap, said connecting means
comprising material being water-soluble only at temperatures above
34 degrees F.
10. The cover of claim 7 wherein: said sheet means has a
rearwardly-directed flap, said apron has a length greater than the
length of the flap.
11. The cover of claim 7 wherein: said sheet means has a
rearwardly-directed flap, said apron has a width greater than the
width of the flap.
12. The cover of claim 7 wherein: said sheet means has a
rearwardly-directed flap, said apron has a length and width greater
than the length and width of the flap.
13. A cover for a toilet seat having a front portion, side members
joined to a back section and a generally central opening between
the side members to accommodate the lower body and legs of a human
comprising: sheet means for covering the toilet seat to protect the
person using the toilet seat, said sheet means having opposite
sides and a generally central opening smaller than the central
opening of the toilet seat, said sheet means comprising material
being hot water-soluble at a selected first temperature range, a
first side sheet member secured to a first side of the sheet means,
a second side sheet member secured to a second opposite side of the
sheet means, and an apron secured to the sheet means and adapted to
extend downwardly from the front of the toilet seat, said first and
second side members and apron comprising material being
water-soluble at a second temperature range entirely lower than the
first temperature range.
14. The cover of claim 13 wherein: said sheet means has a
rearwardly-directed flap, said flap having opposite sides
releasably connected to the sheet means, said opposite sides of the
flap being releasable from the sheet means such that the flap
extends downward into a toilet bowl when the cover is placed on a
toilet seat.
15. The cover of claim 14 wherein: said sheet means has a first
section and a second section, said flap has a first portion joined
to the first section and a second portion joined to the second
section of the sheet means, and connecting means securing the first
portion to the second portion of the flap, said connecting means
comprising material being water-soluble at said second temperature
range.
16. The cover of claim 13 wherein: said sheet means has a
rearwardly-directed flap, said apron has a length greater than the
length of the flap.
17. The cover of claim 13 wherein: said sheet means has a
rearwardly-directed flap, said apron has a width greater than the
width of the flap.
18. The cover of claim 13 wherein: said sheet means has a
rearwardly-directed flap, said apron has a length and width greater
than the length and width of the flap.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention is in the art of protective covers for structures
that are normally engaged with a part of a person's body to shield
the body from foreign materials, liquids, solids and contaminants
that may be on the structures. The protective cover is a cover for
a toilet seat used to shield a person from contaminants such as
bacteria, viruses and parasites that may be on the toilet seat.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Sanitary protection products are used by humans to protect the
person's body from being contaminated with foreign materials and
contaminants; that may be hazardous to health. Protective clothing,
gloves; and shields are worn by a person to guard against
contaminants, particulates and foreign materials that may be
present in the environment in which the person works and lives. The
necessities of life expose persons away from home to contaminants
when using public rest rooms and the toilets therein. Paper seat
covers have been developed for use with conventional toilet seats
to insulate a person from the foreign materials and contaminants
thereon. L. N. Albrecht and S. R. Burke show in U.S. Pat. No.
4,875,242 a paper toilet seat cover. These covers are generally
flat oval-shaped paper products that are adapted to rest on top of
the toilet seats. The paper toilet seat covers do not have
structures that have flaps and aprons to shield body parts from the
inside and outside of the toilet seat and bowl thereby exposing the
person directly to the foreign materials and contaminants on the
seat and bowl. The seat cover, after use, must be disposed of in a
sanitary and environmentally safe manner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to protective covers for structures having
openings usable as human body supports to shield the body from
foreign matter and contaminants located on and adjacent the
structures. The cover has flexible and foldable sheet members, such
as plastic sheet members having opposite side sections joined to
base sections, all of which surround a generally central opening, A
front apron is joined to the front of the base sections of the
sheet members. A flap, spaced inwardly from the apron, is joined to
the sheet members. In use, the apron extends downwardly in front of
the structure, the side sections extend downwardly adjacent
opposite sides of the structure, and the flap extends downwardly
into the opening of the structure to shield a person's body and
clothing from the structure to prevent contamination of the person.
Retaining structures, such as an adhesive, secured to the sheet
material are releasably attached to the sheet members to hold the
sheet members on the structures. The base sections of the sheet
members are made of materials, warm or hot water-soluble plastic
film, that are hot water-soluble at a first selected temperature
range. The side sections and apron are made of materials, such as
cold water-soluble plastic film, that are cold water-soluble at a
second selected temperature range that is below the first selected
temperature range. The material that dissolves at the second
temperature range is disposed of in normal water temperatures. This
reduces the solid volume of the cover, as only the base sections
remain. The base sections dissolve in warm and hot water.
The preferred embodiment of the seat cover of the invention is used
with a toilet seat having a front portion and side members joined
to the back section and a generally central opening between the
side members to accommodate the lower body and legs of a human in a
seated position. The cover comprises sheet material that is of a
size to cover the toilet seat and opposite sides and front of the
toilet bowl to shield the person using the toilet seat and the
person's clothing.
The sheet material has a base that rests on top of the toilet seat.
The base has a first section for covering one side of the toilet
seat and a second section for covering the other side of the toilet
seat. The base is made of material that is warm or hot
water-soluble at temperatures between 45 to 130 degrees F. An
example of this material is LA20 polyvinyl hot water-soluble film.
The first and second sections of the base are secured together with
a strip of plastic. Side sheet members are attached to the outsides
of the first and second sections and an apron is attached to the
front of the base. The side sheet members extend downwardly
adjacent opposite sides of the toilet seat and bowl. The apron
extends downwardly adjacent the front of the toilet seat and bowl.
The side sheet members and apron are shields that prevent direct
contact of a person's body and clothing with the toilet seat and
bowl. The side sheet members and apron are made of material that is
cold water-soluble at temperatures between 34 to 55 degrees F. An
example of this material is LA20 polyvinyl cold water-soluble film.
The base also has a rearwardly-directed flap having opposite sides
that are releasably connected to the first and second sections of
the base. When the flap is released from the first and second
sections, it can be folded down into the bowl opening adjacent the
inside of the front of the toilet seat to prevent body contact with
the toilet seat and direct liquids down into the bowl. All of the
materials of the cover are water-soluble to allow disposal of the
cover in the toilet water. The side members and apron dissolve in
the cold water in a short period of time. The base is of a size
that it can flow with the toilet water and dissolve when the water
temperature elevates. Alternatively, the person can dissolve the
base in hot water.
The seat covers for the toilet seat are low cost, disposable
compact shields that can be carried in pockets or purses for
suitable protection when needed. The cover is preferably made of
plastic materials, such as cold and warm water-soluble polyethylene
films. Other types of materials, including papers and biodegradable
plastics, can be used for the covers.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the cover for a toilet seat of the
invention;
FIG. 2 is a front elevational view thereof;
FIG. 3 is a side elevational view thereof;
FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view thereof;
FIG. 5 is a top plan view thereof;
FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view thereof;
FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the cover located on a toilet
seat;
FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of FIG. 7; and
FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along the line 9--9 of FIG. 7.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to FIGS. 1-6 of the drawings, there is shown a cover,
indicated generally at 10, for a toilet seat. Cover 10 is a
disposable sheet member made of water-soluble materials which will
dissolve in water at selected temperatures. Cover 10 comprises a
base having a pair of sheet members 11 and 12 having adjacent edges
secured together with strips 13 and 14 to form a body of the cover
that rests on top of a conventional toilet seat. The joined sheet
members 11 and 12 have a general ovaloid central opening 16. The
front portion of sheet members 11 and 12 have generally
longitudinal slits 17 and 18 forming a generally rectangular flap
19. The rear portions of flap 19 are joined to sheet members 11 and
12 with connecting portions 21 and 22 which maintain flap 19 in
general alignment with sheet members 11 and 12 during storage.
Connecting portions 21 and 22 are separated from adjacent portions
of sheet members 11 and 12 to allow flap 19 to extend downwardly
into a toilet bowl adjacent the front of the toilet seat.
A first longitudinal side member 23 is joined to the outside edge
of sheet member 11 with a heat seal seam 24. A second side member
26 is joined to the outside edge of sheet member 12 with a heat
seal seam 27. Sheet member 11 and side member 23 have a champered
or angled corner 28. A similar champered or angled corner 29 is
located at the forward ends of sheet member 12 and side member 26.
Sheet members 11 and 12 have a transverse linear front edge 31.
As seen in FIG. 6, an apron 32 is joined to the corners 28 and 29,
and front edge 31 with a heat seam 34. Apron 32 extends rearwardly
from the front edge beyond flap 19 and covers the forward portion
of opening 16 when in the flat or storage position. In use, apron
32 is a downwardly-directed shield that provides a barrier to
prevent a person's legs and clothing from engaging the toilet seat
and bowl. Side members 23 and 24, connecting strips 13 and 14, and
apron 32 are cold water-soluable sheets, such as cold
water-soluable plastic film. An example of a cold water-soluable
material is a LA polyvinyl cold water-soluable film. When placed in
cold water, the side members 23 and 24, and apron 32 dissolve
leaving only the base. The base separates into two parts after
connecting strips 13 and 14 dissolve. The base will dissolve in
warm or hot water so that the entire cover is disposable in water.
The base, being relatively small, is carried by the toilet water to
waste treatment installations where is dissolves.
The bottom surfaces of sheet members 11 and 12 have adhesive
patches 35A and 35B used to releasably secure sheet members 11 and
12 to the top surface of a toilet seat. Cover plastic strips (not
shown) are used to protect the adhesive during storage. The cover
strips are removed from the adhesive before cover 10 is located on
the toilet seat. The top surface of sheet members 11 and 12 are
coated with a moisture-absorbent body powder to reduce adherence of
the sheet members to a person's body.
Referring to FIGS. 7 and 9, there is shown a conventional toilet or
water closet, indicated generally at 36, having a bowl 37
supporting a conventional toilet seat 38. Seat 38 has an elongated
opening 39 which is located forwardly of a water tank 41. A
conventional lid 42 is hinged to bowl 37 to selectively open and
close opening 39 of the toilet seat and cover the top of the toilet
seat.
In use, cover 10 is unfolded and placed on top of the toilet seat
38. The uncovered adhesive strips 35A and 35B are located in
surface engagement with opposite portions of seat 38 to locate and
hold cover 10 on the seat. The opening 16 of cover 10 is located in
vertical alignment with the opening of the toilet seat. Opening 16
is smaller than the toilet seat opening so that inside portions of
sheet members 11 and 12 extend inwardly of the inside of the toilet
seat. This shields the person's body from the inside of the toilet
seat. The flap 19 is folded down into the bowl, as seen in FIG. 9,
after its outer edges have been released from connecting portions
21 and 22. The side members 23 and 26 drape downwardly adjacent
opposite sides of seat 38 and bowl 37. Apron 32 folds over the
front of seat 38 and covers the forward portion of seat 38 and bowl
37, as seen in FIG. 8. Apron 32 has a vertical length about twice
the vertical length of flap 19, as seen in FIG. 9. Side members 23
and 26 extend downwardly adjacent opposite sides of seat 38 and
bowl 37. Apron 32 draped down in front of seat 38 and bowl 37. Flap
19 extends down into bowl 37 adjacent the inside of seat 38 and
bowl 37. Side members 23 and 26, apron 32 and flap 19 provide
barriers which shield a person's body and clothes from contacting
or engaging the seat and bowl thus protecting the person's body
from being contaminated by liquids, solids and contaminants on the
seat and bowl.
Sheet members 11 and 12 are low-density plastic that are
water-soluble at temperatures above 45 degrees F. Preferably, the
material of sheet members 11 and 12 is warm or hot water-soluble at
temperatures between 45 and 130 degrees F. The connecting strips 13
and 14, side members 23 and 26, and apron 32 are plastic sheets
made of material that are water-soluble in cold water at
temperatures between 34 and 55 degrees F. An example of the
materials of cover 10 are as follows: sheet members 11 and 12 are
in a LA 20 polyvinyl hot water-soluble 1 mil film. Strips 13 and
14, side members 23 and 26, and apron 32 is in a LA 60 poly vinyl
hot water-soluble 1 mil film.
After a person has used the toilet, cover 10 is removed from seat
38 and disposed of in water, such as the water in the toilet bowl.
The cold water-soluable material quickly dissolves side members 23
and 27, apron 32 and strips 13 and 14 in the water. Side sections
11 and 12 are separated from each other when strips 13 and 14
dissolve. This enhances the flow of side sections 11 and 12 with
the toilet water. Warm water at the waste disposal plant dissolves
side sections 13 and 14. Cover 10 is used as a shield to insulate
the body, legs and other body parts, as well as clothing of a
person from contaminants and foreign materials that are found on
toilet seat 38 and adjacent structures. The contaminants can
include liquids, solids, bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites and
like germs and organisms that can be a health or even a death
hazzard. Cover 10 can be made from plastic film or treated papers.
Cover 10 can be used with all types of toilet seats and other
structures to provide a barrier between the body of a person and
the structure accommodating the cover.
While there has been shown and described a preferred embodiment of
the seat cover of the invention for use with a conventional toilet
seat, it is understood that changes in the structure, materials,
shape of the cover and the use of the cover may be made by those
skilled in the art without departing from the invention. The
invention is defined in the following claims.
* * * * *